The California Criminal Justice Realignment is often seen as a sui generis penal experiment in response to a court mandate. However, when examined in a broader context, it can be understood as part of a recession-era institutional effort to reduce prison costs, fueled by a discourse of austerity and financial prudence, which I refer to as “humonetarian.” This article examines Realignment, its predecessor, Senate Bill 18, and its successor, Proposition 47, as examples of humonetarian policy, characterized by a rhetoric of costs and savings; bipartisan support; inmate transference practices; and a focus on nonviolent, low-risk offenders, whose incarceration expenses exceed the risk they pose. The analysis yields two insights: one, the financial context of reform; and the other, the unique, neopopulist California “flavor” of this financial context, which stands in the way of even more effective reform. I end with thoughts about the promise and perils of humonetarianism in the California context.
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